Star Trek is...
Star Trek is... was the first draft proposal for Star Trek that Gene Roddenberry created on . It was presented to the NBC executives to pitch the series. It lead to the production of the first pilot, The Cage. According to the draft Star Trek is... : "A one-hour dramatic television series. : Action-Adventure-Science Fiction. : The first such concept with strong : central lead characters plus other : continuing regulars." The draft included the famous faux-Drake equation. It also claimed that "Star Trek" was a "Wagon Train to the Stars" type show. The Setting The transportation was the [[USS Yorktown (23rd century)|S.S. Yorktown]], which would later become the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]]. The S.S. Yorktown was described as a "cruiser class" with a 190,000 ton gross. It had a crew complement of 203, and used Space-warp drive ("maximum velocity .73 of one light-year per hour"). It had a range of 18 years and was registered as a United Space Ship with Earth. The date was stated to be sometime in the future, possibly between 1995 and 2995. One of the key concepts of the show would be the "Parallel Worlds" concept. This stated that most of the planets would have a similar physical and social evolution to Earth. This concept would be used in the Original Series as Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development. Because of the "parallel worlds" concept, they would be able to use the other sets without spending too much. The Characters Many of the Characters would be used by TOS and "The Cage": ;Robert M. April: The 34-year-old "skipper" of the S.S. Yorktown. He was described as "a space-age Captain Horatio Hornblower." He was headstrong and believed in taking risks himself. However, unlike other great explorers he had great compassion for all, alien and human alike. He would evolve into Christopher Pike by the time of the first pilot. James T. Kirk was also described as being a "Hornblower-type" personality. ;Number One: The mysterious female executive officer, she was described as a slim, Nubian woman of uncertain age. She was expressionless, highly intelligent, and always cool under pressure. When Captain April left the ship, she would serve as "Acting Commander." She would appear in the first pilot, but her mannerisms would be overtaken by Spock in the second pilot. The name "Number One" would later be used for Commander Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. ;José Ortegas: The South American navigator. He was tall, handsome, about twenty five years old and maturing. Famous for his Latin temperament, he has trouble with the navigation equipment, and believes that life itself is in a conspiracy to make his life difficult. He also tries and mostly fails to keep up the historical repute of Latin men as "lovers." His character will be adapted, loosely, into José Tyler in the first pilot. ;Philip Boyce: The 51-year old ship's doctor, "Bones" Boyce is described as the only "realist" aboard the Yorktown. He's known for cynicism and worldliness. He is more annoyed than excited by the crew's adventures. His character would be directly adapted into the first pilot, and indirectly adapted into Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the series. ;Mr. Spock: The alien "Mr. Spock" is the Yorktown's First Lieutenant. He is the "working-level" commander in charge of overseeing and supervising the crewmen. His appearance is described as potentially frightening, with a heavy-lidded and somewhat "satanic" face, with a reddish hue and pointed ears. He might have been half-Martian. Despite his look, he had a quiet temperament. His only weakness would be his extreme curiosity to all things he considers "alien." His personality would be "melded" with that of Number One in the second pilot and the series. ;Yeoman Colt: The Captain's yeoman, she was a blonde with a very womanly body shape. She wasn't dumb, but she was "disturbingly female" (or, as the Talosian Keeper put it, as possessing "unusually strong female drives." She would appear in the first pilot, and would be adapted into Yeoman Rand for the series. Captain's Orders Captain Robert M. April was assigned to the S.S. Yorktown, Cruiser class, for a five-year mission of Galaxy exploration and Class M investigation. He was to patrol the "ninth quadrant" which began at Alpha Centauri and extended to the "Pinial Galaxy Limit." The reasons for the patrol given were Earth security, Scientific investigation, and assistance or aid to Earth colonies. Technology Landings could be done using a small "recon rocket vehicle," and the audience would view them through "telescreens." A "telecommunicator" device would be used for communication between alien species and humans. The cruiser would be armed with laser beams. The crew would be armed with special rifles and pistols that shot simple bullets, explosive projectiles, or hypodermic pellets which stun or tranquilize. The Episodes Many of the episodes would evolve into the episodes used by TOS: ;The Next Cage: Captain April is caged like an animal, and offered a mate. Later adapted into "The Cage". ;The Day Charlie Became God: A normal man accidentaly gains infinite powers. Later adapted into "Charlie X". ;President Capone: A "parallel world" set on a Chicago where Al Capone won the presidency. Vaguely similar to "A Piece of the Action". ;To Skin a Tyrannosaurus: A modern man is reduced to stone-age level. Would later be worked into TNG: "Genesis". ;The Women: Some "hanky-panky" occurs when escorting a cargo ship of women to a deep space colony. Vaguely similar to "Mudd's Women". ;The Coming: A parable about an alien condemned to crucifixion and his dignity around the subject. The idea of a religion parallel to the early Christianity is used in "Bread and Circuses". ;The Perfect World: The S.S. Yorktown lands on a supposed "perfect world," which appears similar to Earth c. 1964. Only later do they realize that it is ruled by an authoritarian, Big Brother type. Vaguely similar to "Return of the Archons" ;Mr. Socrates: The S.S. Yorktown discovers a planet which duplicates famous humans, and then forces them into Gladiatorial combat. This concept was used in TOS: "The Savage Curtain". ;The Stranger: A "strange" alien intelligence begins to take over the minds of key crewmembers, in an attempt to fight a rival civilization. While similar to "Day of the Dove", this story much more literally resembles a decades later DS9 story concept, "Dramatis Personae". ;The Man Trap: The crew lands on a seemingly harmless planet, and begin to see apparitions. Eventually, they find that their wishes are being fulfilled in deadly ways. Despite the title it has more in common with "Shore Leave". ;Camelot Revisited: On Hermes II, a modern society exists, yet they contain many medieval characteristics, such as knighthood. ;100 A.B.: An exploration of a parallel world 100 years after an atomic holocaust. ;Kentucky, Kentucky: An Earth colony in the Sirius group is reduced to fighting viking-like savages in a "frontier" like community. ;Reason: The crew visit the Isaac IV group, where they discover a group of sentient robots. ;Reason II: The story of the last human survivors of the Isaac IV group, trying to take back control over the robots. ;A Matter of Choice: A world where the natives have the power to relive any portion of their lives over again. ;The Radiant One: A love story with a woman from a "Garden of Eden" planet, except, because of her body chemistry, anyone who becomes her lover will die. Similar to "That Which Survives" in plot. Also, thematically similar to "The Way to Eden" in that death awaits those who find the Garden of Eden. ;The Trader: The crew visit the oriental planet Satunii, that is strangely similar to the court of Genghis Khan. ;A Question of Cannibalism: The crew discovers that the colonists on Regulus are actually herding sentient beings, and face angry settlers when trying to free the "cattle." The idea of colonists accidentally destroying sentient beings is re-used in "The Devil in the Dark" and "Home Soil" ;The Mirror: The Yorktown discovers a duplicate Yorktown. Now they have to decide whether or not to destroy their counterparts. Somewhat similar to "Mirror, Mirror" and "The Enemy Within." ;Torx: A strange alien being "devours" intelligence, and is headed straight for Earth. Somewhat similar in concept to "The Changeling" and Star Trek: The Motion Picture ;The Pet Shop: A world similar to St. Louis, 1910, except women are the masters and men are womens' pets. The concept would be revisited much later in TNG: "Angel One". ;Kongo: A planet where the "Ole Plantation Days" still occur, yet it is reversed. Worse yet, the crew find themselves stranded on the planet as runaways. ;The Venus Planet: The crew discover a planet of women. The men become increasingly attracted to the women, and almost too late do they realize that there are no more men on the planet. The story bears a striking resemblence to both TAS: "The Lorelei Signal and VOY: "Favorite Son". ;Infection: A female crew member discovers that she may be pregnant, with an alien larvae. Slightly similar to TNG: "The Child", which itself was adapted from an unproduced script from Star Trek: Phase II. Memorable Quotes : Star Trek offers an almost infinite number of exciting Science Fiction stories. : Star Trek is a "Wagon Train" concept -- built around characters who travel to worlds "similar" to our own, and meet the action-adventure-drama which becomes our stories. : ...far enough into the future for galaxy travel to be thoroughly established (happily eliminating the need to encumber our stories with tiresome scientific explanation). : The "Parallel Worlds" concept is the key..." : ''...something like three million worlds with a chance of intelligent life : (referencing April) But, unlike most early explorers, he has an almost compulsive compssion (sic) for the plight of others, alien as well as human, must continually fight the temptation to risk many to save one. : His name is "Mr. Spock". And the first view of him can be almost frightening -- a faceso heavy-lidded and satanic you might almost expect him to have a forked tail. : Except for problems in naval parlance, "Colt" would be called a yeowoman; blonde and with a shape even a uniform could not hide. : (from April's orders) ...and the enforcement of appropriate statutes affecting such Federated commerce vessels and traders as you might contact... : Where required, "alien" variations will be obtained via padding, wigs, and simpler makeup devices. : Now and then, of course, we may spring a surprise variation, such as a fairly advanced civilization which clings to feudal armor and swords as a way of life. : Crew uniforms are 'naval' in general appearance, attractively simplified and utilitarian. References Al Capone; Chicago; Tyrannosaurus; Old West; crucifixion; Drake equation; galaxy; Parallel Worlds concept; Horatio Hornblower; James Cook; Francis Drake; Louis Antoine de Bougainville; Winfield Scott; Nile Valley; God; "Bones"; space-warp; United Space Ship; Class M; Five-year mission; quadrant; cruiser class; Alpha Centauri; Pinial Galaxy limit; telescreen; two-way scrambler; telecommunicator; laser weapons; hypodermic pellets; Native American; Viking; "Gunsmoke"; Dodge City; "Kildare"; Blair General Hospital; airman; bridge; crew quarters; communication room; 1964; police barbarism; 1984 (novel); communism; Socrates; Julius Caesar; Napoleon; Florence Nightingale; Genghis Khan; Thomas Jefferson; Carry Nation; Adolf Hitler; Roman; gladiator; Hermes II; Kentucky; Sirius; Isaac IV; robot; Garden of Eden; Satunii; Regulus External link * Original proposal (first link in "Space Seed" section) Category:Star Trek